Instinctive (11 page)

Frightened, Jaclyn took a quick glance around her living room, searching for something big and hard to hit him with, although judging by his size, it would take more than her glass vase. She remembered the mace in her purse, but before she could get to her kitchen, her head began spinning, and she felt dizzy. Slyck wrapped his arms around her waist as her rubbery legs began to give out on her.

He continued with his explanation, and she struggled to make sense of his words. “The female’s panther stays dormant until she’s introduced to male seed. And after finding a true mate and joining as one, an impenetrable bond is formed. And because of that bond, without your mother’s true mate at her side, the panther inside her died, killing the human part of her as well.” He put his palm on her cheek and looked deep into her eyes. “So you
see, Jaclyn, your mother never abandoned you. Never would have. You would have been her pride, and she would have loved you and protected you with everything inside her. It is our way, the way of the panther.”

She touched her stomach, comforted by that. Then she shook her head, forcing reason back to her brain. “This is crazy. Wouldn’t I have exhibited some panther traits?” she said, humoring him.

“You’re very libidinous, aren’t you? Unable to play well with other females, aloof at times. Not a fan of the canine. Never felt sated before until you slept with me . . .”

“Yeah, but—”

“You’re my mate, Jaclyn. I’m your alpha and you belong to me.”

“So what does that mean, I’m your subordinate?” she challenged.

“It means I’ll always protect you and take care of you.” He softened his voice. “It also means I belong to you.”

She swallowed as something inside her gave. She’d never really belonged to anyone before or had anyone belong to her. It gave her a weird sense of comfort.

“You have the mark of fire, Jaclyn.”

“You mean my birthmark?”

“It’s more than just a birthmark. It’s the mark of the panther. We’re all descendants of the courageous Indian maiden Tallie.”

“Tallie?”

“Native American legend says the Indian maiden had a vision
of an injured panther. As if drawn by the animal, she traveled great lengths, putting herself in danger in an effort to rescue the wounded animal. When she found the panther, she wasn’t strong enough to carry it back to her grounds to care for it, so she stayed with it to provide warmth and give it food. That night she dreamed the panther had turned into a man and made love to her. Come morning she had gained the strength of the alpha and was able to bring it to safety and nurture it to good health. Tallie was then able to summon other panthers and, soon after, had taken on the animal characteristics herself.” His hand trailed down to the juncture between Jaclyn’s legs, to where her birthmark was hidden. “Tallie wore the mark of fire because she was as bright and beautiful as the blazing sun. The sun that gave us crops, sustenance, and life.”

Jaclyn became acutely aware of her birthmark, and the way it burned and itched whenever Slyck was near.

“I have the mark too.” He lifted his shirt and then his arm, showing her the same mark etched on his side. The only difference was that his had bright yellow flames, where hers had gone from pale to red-hot. As if he read her thoughts, he said, “It’s not a coincidence.”

Jaclyn got quiet, trying to sort through everything he’d just told her.

“You can’t mention this to anyone,” he said, his voice taking on a hard edge.

“I would think not,” she said. A trip to the hospital that Slyck had obviously escaped from was not on her list of things to do today.

“Because as the offspring of the rogue shifter, you’d be terminated.”

Okay, that totally got her attention. She gulped air. “Terminated?”

“Our town isn’t what you think it is. You see, you would automatically be killed, as per our rules, for fear that the offspring—you—would retain rebellious traits of the rogue parent and reveal our secret community.”

Her stomach knotted. What the hell had she gotten herself into? None of this could be true. She needed to go to the police to report this lunatic. But what if they were just as crazy as he was? She had to leave. To get the hell out of Dodge.

“You can’t leave, Jaclyn. Because we’ve mated, bonded in a way that you don’t yet understand. And like your mother, the panther in you will die without me, your true mate, at your side.”

She decided to humor him for another moment. “You mean mates die when they’re not together?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Then uncomplicate it for me.”

“Like Tallie, females can gain strength from their alpha. The longer mates are together, the stronger the female becomes, and upon prolonged separation, such as death, she can absorb his strength through their life bond and live on, should she so choose. But if the male dies, most females choose death, not wanting to live on without their partner.”

Jaclyn shook her head. “That’s one hell of a bond.”

“Yes, it is. And that bond empowers each mate. Someday you’ll understand.”

“Like my mother understood?”

Slyck pitched his voice low. “Jaclyn, your mother probably didn’t understand any of this. And she wouldn’t have chosen death over her daughter. She just hadn’t been together with your father long enough to have gained his strength to live on without him.”

Jaclyn gave a heavy sigh. “Why are you telling me this, Slyck?”

“To protect you.”

“So you’re telling me I’m a shape-shifting panther, and you’re my mate, and if anyone in the town finds out
what
I am, they will kill me, and I can’t leave because my panther will die?”

“Yes.”

Her entire body stiffened. “That’s some pretty fucked-up shit, Slyck.”

His green eyes darkened. “I know you can feel it.”

“I don’t feel anything,” she said, angling her chin in defiance.

The air around them charged as his head descended and his sensuous lips came down on hers. Her entire body melted against him. No longer able to ignore the sensations, everything inside her screamed for more. For him to ravish her, for her to give herself over to him.

That he was her mate.

Oh hell!

“Tell me you feel it, Jaclyn,” he whispered into her mouth.

Breathless, she said, “I feel nothing.”

Their tongues played and tangled. Fire licked over her thighs. Pulled by a strange commanding force, she pressed harder against
him, unable to help herself because what he did to her was both frightening and exhilarating.

Slyck inched back and caught her glance. If she wasn’t so goddamn hot for him, she would have smacked that “told you so” look off his face.

“Your words say one thing, Jaclyn, but your body says another.”

Five days had passed since Slyck had last set eyes—or hands—on Jaclyn, and the separation was damn near killing him. But he knew he had to back off, to give her the time and space she needed to sort matters through. After all, it wasn’t every day one was told she was a were-cat. And truthfully, he couldn’t blame her for thinking he was a psychopath. Hell, he’d have reacted the same way.

Sure she was dubious, fearful even of what he’d told her. And, sure he could have presented her with his panther as proof. But he suspected it would have been far too much for her to handle, especially seeing the way she’d stood there staring up at him with those big disbelieving eyes of hers. Not only would it have frightened her, but showing one’s true self to an outsider before a council ruling was strictly forbidden as it risked exposing their colony. He scoffed at that last thought. Not that he’d been abiding by any rules lately anyway. Even though he’d always been levelheaded and analytical, in a matter of a few short days, Jaclyn had drawn him
into a place where emotions ruled his actions, and because he was an alpha leader who needed to govern with logic and patience, that really wasn’t a good place for him to be.

But Jaclyn was smart, observant, and curious, and it would have only been a matter of time before she discovered the truth behind the town, and the people in it.

Especially when her panther tried to get out.

They’d mated only twice, but she had enough of his seed running through her system to bring on her change. He was positive she’d come to him when she was ready, or when she needed answers, which he suspected would be very soon. Until then he would spend his time watching over Jaclyn to make sure she didn’t try to escape, as well as training his first-in-command. Slyck had no idea what Jaclyn’s future held—or his own, for that matter. Now that he’d found his mate he just didn’t want any part of a future without her, and he needed to prepare Drake for Vall, should he suddenly need to assume the alpha position.

In the basement of the old town hall, Drake kept a tight berth, walking small circles around Slyck as they practiced their martial arts. Having only lived two lives, Drake was still a kitten in Slyck’s eyes, and he still had so very many skills to learn.

With lightning speed, and practiced agility, Slyck did a round-house kick, easily knocking his opponent off balance. He wanted to anger Drake, to bring out his panther, knowing anger was one of the many things that roused the animal in them. Other things that stirred the kitty were fear, passion, lust. . . .

It took Slyck many lifetimes and a great amount of self-discipline and patience to gain control over the shift, and he was
hoping to speed up the process for Drake, because one needed to work with intellect, not passion, when going head-to-head with a lycan.

“Stand up,” Slyck demanded when Drake began to morph, his bones elongating and crackling, his jaw shifting, extending. “Fight it,” he boomed out.

Too late. Drake ripped off his jeans and T-shirt, letting the call of the wild rule his actions. A moment later, standing before Slyck was a sleek black panther, eyes enraged, razorlike claws prolonged, ready for battle.

Cutting through the air, Drake lunged, hurtling toward him. Slyck immediately assumed a combative stance and easily sidestepped him, angling his large body and widening his legs in defense. Drake flew past him and landed with a thud against the wall.

A moment later, Drake climbed to his feet, bared his teeth and prowled closer, his long, sharp nails clinking and clattering on the old wood floor. Slyck took that opportunity to shed his own jeans and T-shirt. Once he was completely naked, he drew a breath and welcomed the change, mentally and emotionally distancing himself from the all-too-familiar pain associated with the transformation as he prepared for the inevitable catfight.

The two panthers faced each other, circling slowly, sizing each other up. A low, savage growl rumbled up from Slyck’s throat. With years of battle experience, and the scars to prove it, Slyck made the first move. Both cats went up on their hind legs, but within seconds Slyck had the weaker cat pinned to the ground.

Drake struggled beneath him, swatting at Slyck’s face as he
strived to right himself. Using his beefy paws to hold him down, Slyck put his mouth on the other man’s neck, showing his dominance as he held him firm. When he felt Drake’s body loosen, he said, “Let it go, Drake.”

As though knowing he couldn’t win in a power struggle against the pack’s alpha, Drake began to purr, his show of submission. With that, Slyck slowly backed away and returned to his human form. Drake shook away his panther, his thick black coat receding as he too morphed from cat to man.

Slyck paced the floor, calming the animal in him. A moment later Drake sat on his heels, cautiously staring up at him with a confused look on his face. Intense green eyes full of questions locked gazes with Slyck. Slyck held his hand out and pulled him to his feet.

“What’s going on, Slyck?” Arms folded across his chest, Drake tipped his head to meet Slyck’s glance. Even when Drake was at his full height, Slyck still towered over his first-in-command.

Slyck shrugged. “Nothing,” he hedged. “Just thought we should add more intensity to your training sessions.”

Drake rubbed his neck. “I’d say.”

“And we need to go from once a week to daily.”

“Daily?”

Slyck reached for his clothes and handed Drake his. “You need to learn to control your panther, Drake, and fight with intellect. There is no place for emotions in the battle of wit and skill.”

Slyck felt Drake’s eyes on him, gauging him carefully. A suspicious look crossed his first’s face as he began pulling his clothes
back on. Even though they were as close as any friends, Slyck was still Drake’s leader, and Drake knew better than to question him or challenge him about his current actions or his decision to up the intensity of their training.

“You sure you don’t want to talk about it?” Drake asked.

“Nothing to talk about,” Slyck assured him, and pushed his hair from his face. “You’re my right-hand man, and it’s time for us to get serious about your training.”

Drake scoffed. “I don’t think we need to worry about that too much. You do have nine lives, you know.”

“Yeah, and I’ve already used up seven of them.” That thought suddenly made him tired. He’d dedicated the better part of his life to maintaining order amongst the community, keeping his brethren under control, and holding the balance in place. Unfortunately, the fact that Jaclyn’s mother had panther in her meant that in the past, well before her mother’s generation, others had escaped the gates and impregnated women without his knowledge. Had the years and strain from fighting and trying to maintain balance taken their toll on him? Maybe it really was time for someone younger to take over. Maybe he’d lost his edge.

After they dressed they made their way to the café on Main Street for refreshments. Since a shift always took a great amount of strength and energy, nourishment afterward was necessary.

They grabbed a booth by the window, and Slyck looked out at the sky. “Another scorcher,” he murmured, thinking about how the heat drove the lycans to stupidity. No doubt he’d find a handful down at the pond, swimming and playing when they should be working. They all had their daily duties to fulfill, and everyone
needed to pull together if they wanted to keep the town running smoothly. Slyck’s pack was in charge of security. The demons were in charge of discipline. The vamps, having been on the earth the longest, and having seen just about everything, were in charge of education. The coven took care of medicine, healing, and all things pertaining to nature. The lycans oversaw training of all species, keeping the town prepared should an attack from a government agency take place. After all, the Western Chapter wasn’t the only one with a task force in place to hunt rogues. The government had long ago set up a secret branch to rid the streets of all supernatural beings. Other responsibilities—from managing the stores and manning the front gate, to keeping a fresh supply of food and blood and taking away the garbage—were delegated amongst the species on a rotating basis.